Rick's b.log - entry 2011/12/25

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FYI! Last read at 04:02 on 2024/04/29.

First of all...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

If you don't celebrate Christmas: Happy Yule, Solstice, Dongzhi, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Saturnalia, Festivus, Newtonmas, Snowflake Day, etc etc.
Or maybe just: Happy Chrismahanukwanzadan! ☺

York Minster - BBC Midnight Mass

Mom likes to listen to this. I joined in as, here in France, it was already Christmas.

The hell was that?!

Let's see...

References to Oz (as in The Wizard Of) that could have been better scripted.
If you believe in God, you would have expected it to be said, at least at Christmas, with some measure of enthusiasm. But no, it was said like a mourning - I believe in God, the father, the almighty maker of heaven and earth, I believe I have cancer. My mother died of leukemia and I had to identify my children's bodies this morning after a drunk driver killed them. I am bankrupt and can no longer afford to pay my mortgage. I believe in Jesus....". Seriously, if it had actually said that, would anybody have been surprised?
A most extraordinary organ arrangement in the middle that lends me to imagine (archbishop) John Sentamu (who was holding the service) sprouting wings and long teeth as he turned into a vampire. Yup, it was an organ piece that would do any Hammer Horror film proud.

Let's not forget the numerous technical errors from microphones that either didn't work, weren't mixed in, or weren't where they should be. Oh dear...

Either way, I'm turning the radio off. My God, this sounds like a funeral service. Christmas is supposed to be a happy time, right? RIGHT?

For the next six days, you can listen again to this broadcast.

On the other hand, the Catholic service on BBC 1 did everything correctly, looked good, and even threw in some Latin. Of course, it ran ten minutes over, but hey, it would only be nudging back a Lottery update and a Val Kilmer movie (At First Sight).

While I'm slagging off Auntie...

Karen, the little girl in Outnumbered, looking quite cute in big plastic glasses as she squished herself into the dentist's chair. Cut to a reverse angle shot. And, oh look, no glasses. Can you say "continuity"?

Yeah, it's picky. But hey, as it's Christmas, I'll let it slide and say no more about it... ☺

Eyeball

Ever since my problem with the gunk in my eye, my eyes have been dry. So much so that I have to think sad things when I wake up in order to have enough tears to be able to properly open my eyes. I have little containers of sterile saline water, though I find this stings my left eye. This doesn't sound right, so I will walk it to the doctor in a week or so. Ideally, I would like to move to a position which does not involve chemicals...

Birthday

Thank yous to: Ewen, Mik, and Ted for the cards.

Mom got me a cookbook. It is epic. If you take a look at the photo below, the picture below the "E" in Cuisine, you will see my Playmobil alter-ego. That should give an idea of the size of the book. Weight? A lot.

Recipe The point of this cookbook is that it is laid out step by step so even a dunce like I can follow it. Using, roughly, the recipe for chicken yakitori (as shown on the right), I threw together some stuff and rolled my own.
On the left is yakisoba noodles, then my yakitori on the right. "Yaki" meaning roasted, and "tori" meaning birds, and "soba" is a type of noodle (yakisoba - literally roasted buckwheat).
Up top? A cup of Sweet Sakura Tea, and apologies to Japanese people everywhere for adding milk...

Yes, plastic plates. And disposable chopsticks. Zero washing up!

And finally...

That's all for now. I just had Christmas Dinner, a little bit boring - carrot, spud, brocolli, and chicken. I cooked that myself. Now I'm going to sit and watch stuff I recorded previously, in lieu of anything worth watching on any of the free-to-air channels. Oh well, at least I can pause and rewind without coughing up for a SkyPlus subscription!

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	Rick's b.log - 2011/12/25
It is the 29th of April 2024 You are 3.141.200.180, pleased to meet you!